Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
December 1, 1982 Nearly nine decades after it was opened, a railway station in the town of Brevik in southeastern Norway was closed. (That town has officially been part of the municipality of Porsgrunn since 1964.) The station was built as part of the Brevik Line, a 6.2-mile (10-kilometer) railway in that region of Norway.... Continue Reading →
November 21, 1983 Regular operations began for the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink, a rapid transit line serving Maryland’s largest city and its northwestern suburbs, early that Monday morning. Rick Hirsch, reporting for the Miami Herald, highlighted both the significance of this line and the overall route it encompassed. Hirsch stated, “The Baltimore Metro -- America’s first... Continue Reading →
November 4, 2023 A light rail line in Edmonton, the, capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, was officially opened. This route is called the Valley Line and it is part of Edmonton Light Rail Transit, which is widely known in that region as the LRT. Unlike the other trains used elsewhere within the LRT,... Continue Reading →
October 31, 1886 A double-deck metal arch bridge on Portugal’s northwestern coast was formally opened. This structure, crossing the river Douro, serves as a link between the cities of Porto and Villa Nova de Gaia. The bridge was named after Dom Luís I (1838-1889), who reigned as king of Portugal from 1861 until his death.... Continue Reading →
October 17, 1888 The Eckington & Soldiers’ Home Railway became the first electric streetcar service to begin operations in Washington, D.C. The company’s streetcars initially ran along tracks from the intersection of Seventh Street and New York Avenue, N.W., in the downtown area -- and near the Soldiers’ Home that had been in existence in... Continue Reading →
October 9, 2022 In the Australian state of Western Australia (WA), an underground commuter railway station at Perth Airport was officially opened. This station is part of Transperth, the public transportation system for WA’s capital city of Perth and the surrounding area. Airport Central railway station is specifically located at terminals one and two of... Continue Reading →
October 7, 2017 Operations began for a railway station in West Java, which has the distinction of being the Republic of Indonesia’s most populous province and is based in the western part of the island of Java. This station is located specifically in the administrative district of Bekasi Timur (East Bekasi) in West Java’s city... Continue Reading →
October 1, 2005 A light rail station in the Fruitdale neighborhood of San Jose, California, made its official debut. This station, which was built near the intersection of Fruitdale Avenue and Southwest Expressway, is a link in the Santa Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail system serving that region of the Golden State. Fruitdale station... Continue Reading →
September 12, 1998 In the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon, a light rail station in the Quatama area of the city of Hillsboro was officially opened. Originally known as Quatama/NW 205th Avenue Station, this facility is part of the regional light rail system known as the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX). This station is the eighth... Continue Reading →
September 9, 2011 An automated people mover (APM) at Miami International Airport (MIA) was formally opened with considerable fanfare. This transit system, which is called the MIA Mover, was built to quickly transport people between the airport’s central terminal; and Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), a major hub for commuter rail, rapid transit, bus, and rental... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 